Over in the States it’s Monterey Car Week, a huge event for classic car enthusiasts and one that draws out some of the finest classic metal in the world.
The event has also become famous for its auctions and this year there are five auctions to take place with hundreds of classics going under the hammer. Auction houses Bonhams, Gooding & Company, Mecum, RM and Russo and Steele have all been consigning cars for the past several months and will lure in the thousands of automotive enthusiasts that gather in the Monterey peninsula every August.
It can be hard for us Kiwis to understand the scale of these auctions but to help collector car insurance company Hagerty has compiled the estimated net worth of every car being offered up in Monterey this week. The total is an incredible $230 million US dollars. That’s a lot of action and some very pricey cars. Read the rest of this entry »
The Monterey car week is a massive classic car event on the American calender and with it scheduled for August, details are now being revealed. One of the major highlights of the event are the auctions, especially the RM Auctions event and this year some of the cars are very unique.
No Monterey auction would be complete without some movie star cars and this time around its a pair of ex-Steve McQueen cars that are on the consignment list.
First up is a very tidy 1970 Porsche 911S that was delivered to McQueen while he was on the set of the movie Le Mans. The car actually made an appearance in several of the movie’s opening scenes and is in mostly original condition with just 12,400 miles on the clock. Read the rest of this entry »
Steve McQueen is known as a bit of a legend for his high-speed exploits in all sorts of machinery from a brown ’63 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso to a teal ’58 GMC pickup and all sorts of others. But this King of Cool was very much into his two-wheel action and rode motorcycles regularly.
One of McQueen’s favourites and most recognisable was his Husqvarna 400 dirt bike. This Swedish mudslinger was the stead that he was photographed on for the cover of Sports Illustrated. Following McQueen’s ownership the bike was sold in 1984 and subsequently changed hands through many collections. All its various owners have appreciated its significance and kept it in the same condition in which McQueen last rode it – right down to the spare spark plug he taped on to the frame.
Now the 1971 Husqvarna is being prepared to be a feature of Bonhams Auctions upcoming motorcycle and memorabilia auction in California on May 14. Along with the bike will be all sorts of Steve McQueen artifacts, including a selection of his race trophies. Joining the McQueen items are other highly collectable consignments like a brace of custom Harleys built for Otis Chandler and a pair of classic Norton race bikes. Read the rest of this entry »
The legend might be long gone, but Steve McQueen and his King of Cool attitude can still be found everywhere. His name, image and films are licensed by numerous companies for the purpose of profiting from every type of merchandise including t-shirts, hats and bags up to full-size motorcycles and automobiles. The actor and accomplished racer can now add a new product to his long list of for-sale items — cologne.
If you just so happened to want to smell like one of the coolest guys to walk the Earth, you can now as of September 20, 2010, when the new Steve McQueen cologne becomes available online. The smell itself can be described as a top note of fresh green fruit, a hearty section of cardamom, sage and cinnamon and a base woody cedar tone.
The cost of smelling “cool” is hardly cheap; the listed price is €190, that’s almost $350NZD. That’s before taxes and shipping, too. But to sweeten the deal the cologne comes in a limited-edition gift box.
Triumph and TAG Heuer have worked together to create a one-of-a-kind Bonneville Heuer motorcycle. Inspired by Steve McQueen and the Porsche 917 K that the famous actor drove in the classic film Le Mans, the Bonneville Heuer is painted up in the classic Gulf Oil blue and orange scheme and will be used for promotional purposes.
McQueen famously wore a Heuer Monaco watch in the Le Mans race drama and was a renowned Triumph enthusiast.
Neil Morley, Triumph’s Head of Brand Communications said in a recent statement, “We are delighted to play our part in this exciting project. The Triumph Bonneville and TAG Heuer Monaco are both timeless masterpieces, celebrating their respective 50th and 40th anniversaries this year. We also both have a natural connection with Steve McQueen, who famously wore a Monaco watch in the film Le Mans and was renowned for his love of our bikes, making this a very natural collaboration.”
The special Triumph Bonneville was unveiled in Paris by Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 Formula One world champion and TAG Heuer brand ambassador, and is doing the rounds at various watch shows and TAG Heuer retailers throughout Europe.
The original Triumph Bonneville was born in 1959 to recognize Johnny Allen’s land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Triumph Bonneville was an instant hit in America and the UK, and 50 years later continues to be one of Triumph’s most iconic motorcycles. Despite its classic appearance, the new Triumph Bonneville motorcycles modern design and performance. Unfortunately the unique livery won’t be an optional choice colour choice for the production version of the bike.
There’s nothing like a touch of automotive exotica to get a car enthusiast’s pulse racing, and this year’s Classic Motor Show, held at Birmingham’s NEC in the U.K from 13-15 November, is promising a wide selection.
From stately Rolls-Royces to a display of Bugattis down the generations, and through to jet set Maseratis, the finest in luxury and performance will be star attractions.
The Ferrari Owners’ Club is promising the ex-Steve McQueen Lusso as well as a 250 Europa, and another special model. With interest in American actor McQueen as great as ever, the understated Lusso has the added attraction of its famous previous owner.
Staying with an Italian theme, the Maserati Owners’ Club is serving up an array of Grand Tourers from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Regarded by many enthusiasts as the epitome of jet-set coolness, the club is showing a Ghibli, Indy, Khamsin, Mistral, Sebring, as well as a 3500GT and a 5000GT super car.
Meanwhile the Bugatti Owners Club is celebrating the marque’s 100th anniversary and promising a selection of six models, ranging from a Brescia model and Type 35B to the later-generation EB110 — with something even more powerful expected.
Fans of Porsches won’t be disappointed either — look out for a 928 S4, a 1980s 911SC and a 993 C4S on the Independent Porsche Enthusiasts’ Club stand.
But for those who want something haling from old blighty, the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club is marking the 85th anniversary of the Phantom 11 Continental and 20/25, and the 50th anniversary of its V8 engine. There’s an experimental early V8 Cloud and continuing the technical theme, a cut-away Silver Shadow that’s used for training purposes. Several engines are also being showed, including a very early Royce unit.
The Classic Motor Show will be packed with over 1,400 of Britain’s best classic cars and motorcycles as well as other live events and attractions, including the Live Stage, Restoration Theatre and hundreds of trade stands selling parts, spares and motoring paraphernalia.
The final video in ‘The Duel’ from watch company Tag Heuer sees F1 champion Lewis Hamilton taking on racer and actor Steve McQueen on the Le Mans track that made McQueen famous. Using editing techniques and camera tricks the pair are put together on the screen for an impossible race.
As a shrewd marketing ploy the first video invited the viewer to guess whether the ‘icon’, Steve McQueen, or the ‘virtuoso’, Lewis Hamilton would win (click here to see video). Now, this follow up video answers the question, but considering that McQueen is driving his 1970 Porsche 908 and Lewis Hamilton is in his modern-day Formula 1 car, you might think that the winner is obvious. But thanks to movie magic, McQueen and Hamilton slug it out in a tight battle.
Three lucky winners who guessed the right outcome at TAG Heuer’s site each received their choice of a Monaco watch, a signed Lewis Hamilton helmet or a test drive in a Formula 1 race car. Check out the video below to see who won the fictitious race.
Rumours of a future on-screen connection between Brad Pitt and the late Steve McQueen have been floating around for some time. Earlier reports stated that Brad Pitt was set to reprise the legendary Steve McQueen’s role in the classic car film Bullitt, but new reports have now emerged saying that Pitt is contracted to play the much admired actor/racer in an upcoming biographical film of McQueen’s life.
The as-yet-untitled McQueen biopic is reportedly being produced by Michael Cerenzie and Christine Peters, and the film is said to begin production next year. Together with upcoming biopics on Phil Hill and Ayrton Senna (read news item), it looks like classic racing fans have a lot to get excited about.
